MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF UKRAINE

National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”

Department of Applied Linguistics

703

REPORT

Education in the UK

Author: Basova Dasha

Group No. 723L(1)

Supervisor: M. Heletka

Kharkiv «KhAI» 2020

 CONTENT

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………3
2. Schooling……………………………………………………………………4
3. Pre-primary education………………………………………………………5
4. Primary Education………………………………………………………….7
5. Secondary Education……………………………………………………….8
5.1. Examinations………………………………………………………...9
6. Types of schools……………………………………………………………10
7. Systems of Education………………………………………………………13
8. Life at school………………………………………………………………15
9. Higher education…………………………………………………………..17
9.1. Education System Level of Courses………………………………..19
9.2. Studying in the UK as an International Student……………………20
9.3. The college system at Oxford and Cambridge……………………..21
9.4. The difference between college and university life…………………23
9.5. Student Support…………………………………………………….24
10.Social, Cultural and Sporting Life…………………………………………25

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….27

References……………………………………………………………………..28

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 1. Introduction

The UK is a highly developed country, in general, that’s why the educational

system in the UK is well developed and highly ranked. It’s important to note that
the country consists of four parts Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland.
That fact causes some peculiarities of education in each part.

At the beginning of the 20th century school attendance was compulsory but the
average class size was 50 and most pupils left by the age of 14. Many teachers
were not professionally trained and learning consisted mostly of cramming lists
and memorising. In England and Wales, local authorities became responsible for
state schooling in 1902 and the 1944 Education Act subsequently led to an
expansion of secondary education. Eleven year olds took a test (the ‘11-plus’)
which determined the type of secondary school that they attended. Those who
passed (about 20%) went to grammar schools and the rest to secondary modern or
technical schools. In the 1960s a new system of comprehensive education was
adopted by most education authorities. The emphasis switched to mixed ability
teaching and the 11-plus was largely abandoned, although it continued in Northern
Ireland. Since the 1980s approved national curricula have been introduced and
pupils are assessed against the level of attainment expected at certain ages.
Measures have also been taken to increase parental choice and involvement.

As in many other countries education in Great Britain involves nursery, primary,

and secondary schools for school education; higher education institutions such as
colleges and universities for higher education and also some establishments for
further or adult education.

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 2. Schooling

The educational system of G.B. is extremely complex and bewildering. It is very

difficult to generalize particular types of schools as schools differ from one to the
other. The department of education and science is responsible for national
educational policy, but it doesn't employ teacher or prescribe curricula or text
books. Each school has its own board of governors consisting of teachers, parents,
local politicians, members of local community, businessmen and sometimes pupils.
According to the law only one subject is compulsory. It is religious instruction.
Schooling for children is compulsory from 5 to 16, though some provision is made
for children under 5 and some pupils remain at school after 16 to prepare for higher
education.

The state school system is usually divided into 2 stages (secondary and
primary).The majority of primary schools are mixed. They are subdivided into
infant schools (ages 5 to 7), and junior schools (ages 7 to11). In junior schools
pupils were often placed in A, B, C or D-streams, according to their abilities.
Under the pressure of progressive parents and teachers the 11+ examination has
now been abolished in most parts of the country. There are several types of schools
in G.B. Grammar schools provide an academical cause for selected pupils from the
age of 11 to 18. Only those children who have the best results are admitted to these
schools. They give pupils a high level of academic education which can lead to the
university.

Technical Schools offer a general education with a technical bias and serve those
pupils who are more mechanically minded. The curriculum includes more lessons
of science and mathematics. Secondary modern schools were formed to provide a
non-academic education for children of lesser attainment. The curriculum includes
more practical subjects. Comprehensive schools bring about a general
improvement in the system of secondary education.

Fig.1 School System in the

UK
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 3. Pre-primary Education

In England since September 2010, all three and four year olds are entitled to
15 hours of free nursery education for 38 weeks of the year. Early Years education
takes place in a variety of settings including state nursery schools, nursery classes
and reception classes within primary schools, as well as settings outside the state
sector such as voluntary pre-schools, privately run nurseries or childminders. In
recent years there has been a major expansion of Early Years education and
childcare. The Education Act 2002 extended the National Curriculum for England
to include the Foundation Stage which was first introduced in September 2000, and
covered children’s education from the age of 3 to the end of the reception year,
when children are aged 5. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) came into
force in September 2008, and is a single regulatory and quality framework for the
provision of learning, development and care for children in all registered early
years settings between birth and the academic year in which they turn 5. The EYFS
Profile (EYFSP) is the statutory assessment of each child’s development and
learning achievements at the end of the academic year in which they turn 5.

In Wales, children are entitled to a free part-time place the term following a
child’s third birthday until they enter statutory education. These places can be in a
maintained school or a non-maintained setting such as a voluntary playgroup,
private nursery or childminder which is approved to provide education. The
Foundation Phase is a holistic developmental curriculum for 3 to 7-year-olds based
on the needs of the individual child to meet their stage of development. Statutory
rollout of the Foundation Phase framework started in September 2008 and the
process was completed in the 2011/12 school year.

In Scotland, education typically starts with pre-school. Local authorities have a

duty to secure a part-time funded place for every child starting from the beginning
of the school term after the child's third birthday. Pre-school education can be
provided by local authority centres, or private and voluntary providers under a
partnership arrangement. In Scotland, early years education is called ante-pre-
school education for those who are start receiving their pre-school education in the
academic year after their 3rd birthday until the end of that academic year (note:
depending on when the child turned 3 years of age, some children may only
receive part of an academic year’s worth of ante-pre-school education (e.g. 1 term),
whereas other children may receive an entire academic year of pre-school
education). All children are entitled to receive a full academic years’ worth of pre-

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school education in the academic year before they are eligible to, and expected to,
start primary school.

The commitment in the Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for

Government is to ‘ensure that at least one year of pre-school education is available
to every family that wants it.’ Funded pre-school places are available in statutory
nursery schools and units and in those voluntary and private settings participating
in the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme (PSEEP). Places in the
voluntary/private sector 2 are part-time whilst, in the statutory nursery sector, both
full-time and part-time places are available. Pre-school education is designed for
children in the year immediately before they enter Primary 1. Taking into account
the starting age for compulsory education in Northern Ireland this means children
are aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 2 months in the September in
which they enter their final pre-school year. The Programme incorporates a
number of features designed to promote high quality pre-school education
provision in all settings including a curriculum which is common to all those
involved in pre-school education.

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 4. Primary Education

The primary stage covers three age ranges: nursery (under 5), infant (5 to 7 or 8)
(Key Stage 1) and junior (up to 11 or 12) (Key Stage 2) but in Scotland and
Northern Ireland there is generally no distinction between infant and junior
schools. In Wales, although the types of school are the same, the Foundation Phase
has brought together what was previously known as the Early Years (from 3 to 5-
year-olds) and Key Stage 1 (from 5 to 7-year-olds) of the National Curriculum to
create one phase of education for children aged between three and seven. In
England, primary schools generally cater for 4-11 year olds. Some primary schools
may have a nursery or a children’s centre attached to cater for younger children.
Most public sector primary schools take both boys and girls in mixed classes. It is
usual to transfer straight to secondary school at age 11 (in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland) or 12 (in Scotland), but in England some children make the
transition via middle schools catering for various age ranges between 8 and 14.
Depending on their individual age ranges middle schools are classified as either
primary or secondary. The major goals of primary education are achieving basic
literacy and numeracy amongst all pupils, as well as establishing foundations in
science, mathematics and other subjects. Children in England and Northern Ireland
are assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Wales, all learners in
their final year of Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 must be assessed through
teacher assessments.

Fig.2 London primary school

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 5. Secondary Education

In England, public provision of secondary education in an area may consist

of a combination of different types of school, the pattern reflecting historical
circumstance and the policy adopted by the local authority. Comprehensive
schools largely admit pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and cater for
all the children in a neighborhood, but in some areas they co-exist with other types
of schools, for example grammar schools. Academies, operating in England, are
publicly funded independent schools. Academies benefit from greater freedoms to
help innovate and raise standards. These include freedom from local authority
control, the ability to set their own pay and conditions for staff, freedom around the
delivery of the curriculum and the ability to change the lengths of terms and school
days. The Academies Programme was first introduced in March 2000 with the
objective of replacing poorly performing schools. Academies were established and
driven by external sponsors, to achieve a transformation in education performance.
The Academies Programme was expanded through legislation in the Academies
Act 2010. This enables all maintained primary, secondary and special schools to
apply to become an Academy. The early focus is on schools rated outstanding by
Ofsted and the first of these new academies opened in September 2010. These
schools do not have a sponsor but instead are expected to work with
underperforming schools to help raise standards.

In Wales, secondary schools take pupils at 11 years old until statutory

school age and beyond. 3 Education authority secondary schools in Scotland are
comprehensive in character and offer six years of secondary education; however,
in remote areas there are several two-year and four-year secondary schools.

In Northern Ireland, post-primary education consists of 5 compulsory

years and two further years if students wish to remain in school to pursue post
GCSE / Level 2 courses to Level 3. Ministerial policy is that transfer should be on
the basis of nonacademic criteria, however legally post primary schools can still
admit pupils based on academic performance.

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 5.1. Examinations

Since 1988, most sixteen-year-olds have taken the General Certificate of

Secondary Education (GCSE) or the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) in
five, ten even fifteen subjects.

Pupils going on to higher education or professional training usually take "A"

level examinations in two or three sub- jects. These require two more years of
study after GCSE, either in the sixth form of a secondary school, or in a separate
sixth form college. Other pupils may choose vocational subjects such as catering,
tourism, secretarial or building skills. Subsidised courses in these subjects are run
at colleges of further education.

School-leavers with jobs sometimes take part-time vocational courses, on

day-release from work. School-leavers without jobs get no money from the
government unless they join a youth training scheme, which provides a living
allowance during two years of work experience.

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 6. Types of schools

There are 4 types of secondary schools:

1. Comprehensive Schools: Around 85% of students attend comprehensive

schools. CS provide a wide range of education and there is no entrance exams to
get into these schools. (Parents have the right to elect a school of their choice for
their children.)

 City Technology Colleges: Within the Comprehensive School system there

are 15 City Technology Colleges throughout England which were set up in
2000 especially for inner city children between ages 11-16 with a focus on
math, science and technology. These schools are state funded (free) but are
run by private sponsors. It is the government’s intention to increase the
number of CTCs throughout the country.
 State Specialist Schools: less than 15 per cent of all secondary schools are
SSS, representing roughly 1% of all students studying in the UK. These
schools provide the National Curriculum as well as additional classes in
either technology, science, languages, arts or sports for high performing
students in one of these fields. (A Hungarian example would be Fazekas
Mihály Secondary (Specialist) School, which specializes in math and
science.) The specialist schools are not fee-paying schools, so the extra
expenses incurred have to be funded by private sponsors.

2. Grammar Schools: are selective schools which means that students are admitted
based on an entrance exam, called the '11 plus' (at age 11). GS are fee-paying
schools, but not boarding schools. So grammar school pupils generally live at
home. (The name 'grammar school' comes from emphasizing Latin as the number
one subject back when these schools were founded. Even though this is no longer
the case, the name stuck.) About 4% of students attend grammar schools.

3. Secondary Modern Schools: A small minority of children attend secondary

modern schools (4%). These schools provide a more general and technical
education for children aged 11-16.

4. Public Schools/Independent Schools: ~5% of students attend these selective,

fee-paying schools. The larger and older independent schools (meaning
independence from the local government or the regional educational boards)

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 usually with a long tradition are known as public schools. (The name 'public
schools' used to indicate that these institutions were open to anybody from the
country who could afford to send their children there.) The cost of public schools
is much higher than that of grammar schools since public schools are normally
boarding schools. This incurs the cost of living over and above the cost of studies.
Scholrships are available for students of outsanding achievement but low economic
means. The most famous public schools are Eton (1440), St Paul's (1509) and
Westminster (1560). Public schools are portrayed as institutions of discipline
which instill a strong sense of group loyalty and an elitist identity in their students.

Public Schools in Scotland are independent schools supported by public funds, but
are not fee-paying schools. Scottish state secondary education is nonselective,
there is no reference to ability or aptitude.

In Northern Ireland 90% of schools are operated by either the Protestant or the
Catholic Churches, leaving only 10% of schools which are integrated (they educate
students of all backgrounds together). The integrated schools have recently been
created with the obvious objective of helping children and their families toward an
integrated society. These schools are state financed. Another difference between
secondary schools in Britain and Northern Ireland is that in NI most schools are
selective, meaning that students have to take an entrance exam in maths, English
and science.

Fig. 3 Example of British school

Why are 'public' schools so called?

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The independent school sector is separate from the state educational system, and caters for some 7 per cent
of all schoolchildren in England and 4  per cent in Scotland.
Parents of pupils attending independent schools pay for their education, and in some cases fees can amount
to several thousand pounds a year.  Some pupils gain scholarships and their expenses are covered by the
schools.
About 250 of the larger independent shools are known for historical reasons as public schools.  Eton, which
was founded in 1440, is said to have been the first grammar schools to be called a 'public shool' because
scholars could come to it from any part of England and not, as was generally the case, just from the
immediate neighbourhood.
Originally, many public schools stressed a classical education, character training and sports, but the
curriculum is now closely allied to state education.
In Northern Ireland there are a few independent fee paying schools catering for a very small proportion of the
school population; they do not receive any support from public funds.
Schools in Scotland supported by public funds are also called 'public schools' but they are not fee-paying,
independent schools.

Fig.4 State school Fig. 5 Private school

Fig.6 Public school Fig.7 Grammar school

7. Systems of Education

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 The Comprehensive System. More than 90 per cent of children who go to
the state schools go to school in the comprehensive system a system introduced in
1960s. Children go to a primary (or first) school at the age of five. Depending on
the policy of the Local Education Authority, they may go directly to the upper
school usually called the comprehensive school - at the age of 11. Alternatively,
they may go to the middle school for three or four years before going to the upper
school. The comprehensive system is non-selective. This means that all children go
from one school to another without taking any exams, and without being selected
according to their abilities.

The Selective System. In some areas of Britain, you can still find a
different, older system of education (introduced in 1944). This is a selective system
- children are selected for certain schools according to their abilities. All children
go to a primary school until the age of 11. They then take an examination called
the 11-plus. Those who are successful go to grammar schools, where they receive a
more academic education. Those who fail the exam go to secondary modern
schools, where they receive an education which is less academic, and more
intended to train them for a job when they leave at the age of 16.

The Private (Independent) System. About 7 per cent of children go to private

schools. There are three levels of private schools - primary schools (age 4 to 8) and
preparatory (prep) schools (8 to 13). At the age of 13, children take an
examination. If they pass, they go to the public school, where they usually remain
until they are 18. Many prep and most public schools are boarding schools - the
children live at school during the school terms. Be careful - although these schools
are called public, they are in fact, private, and it can be very expensive to send your
child to such a school. Within the three systems, there are several varieties of
schools. For instance, you can find:

 schools for boys only;

 schools for girls only;
 mixed schools - for boys and girls;
 voluntary schools often with a religious background such as Roman Catholic
schools.

You can see that the British education system is rather confusing.

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Fig.8 The school system

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 8. Life at school

The school year is divided into terms, three months each, named after seasons
autumn term, winter term and spring term.

The autumn term starts on the first Tuesday morning in September. In July schools
break up for eight weeks.

Life at school is more or less similar everywhere. Each group of 30 pupils is the
responsibility of a form tutor. Each day is divided into periods of 40-50 minutes,
time for various lessons with 10-20 minutes breaks between them.

On important occasion such as end of term or national holiday, called in England

schools speech-days pupils are gathered in the assembly area or hall.

Most of the pupils’ time is spent in a classroom equipped with desks and a
blackboard. The desks are arranged in rows, the space between the rows is called
an aisle.

In addition to there are classrooms laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and

Biology. Technical rooms are for Woodwork, Metalwork, Technical Drawing.
There are rooms for computer studies. The Physical Education lessons are
conducted at the gymnasium, games-hall or at the playground in front of the school
building. There are also language laboratories and housecraft rooms. Every school
has a library and a school canteen.

Pupils at many secondary schools in Britain have to wear a school uniform. This
usually means a white blouse for girls, with a dark-coloured skirt and pullover.
Boys wear a shirt and tie, dark trousers and dark-coloured pullovers. Pupils also
wear blazers - a kind of jacket with the school badge on the pocket. They also have
to wear some kind of hat on the way to and from school - caps for boys, and berets
or hats for girls.

Young people in Britain often don't like their school uniform, especially the hats
and shoes.

It sounds logical to say that the school's function is to train a pupil's mind and his
character should be formed at home. Teachers would be pleased if the problem
could be solved so easily. But children don't leave their characters at home when
their minds go to school. Many of them have personality problems of one kind or
another.

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The pupils who violate various school regulations may be punished in the
following ways: for lateness, truancy they may be reported to the Headmaster, or
named in school assembly. They may be detained in school after ordinary hours.

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 9. Higher education

Young people get higher education at the universities. Not everybody can afford it
because it is not free. There are about 50 universities and 350 colleges and
institutes of higher education in Great Britain. The oldest and the most famous are
Oxford and Cambridge Universities which were founded in the 12th and 13th
centuries.

A university consists of a number of faculties: divinity, medicine, philosophy, law,

music, natural science, economics, engineering, agriculture, commerce and
education. After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the
Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. Later, having
studied for two more years at the post-graduate courses they get the Master's
Degree and then the most talented people may proceed to a Doctor's Degree.

English universities greatly differ from each other. Each university has its own
problems, each looks at them in its own way. But there are some tendencies
common to them all.

One of the tendencies of higher education in Britain is the increase in number of

students. This leads to the expansion of universities. On the whole, British
universities are comparatively small. The approximate number is seven-eight
thousand students, most universities having under three thousand, some even less
than 1,500 students.

Another tendency is the increase in student studying technical sciences. One more
factor is the tendency of university study to extend beyond the first degree. The
further development of postgraduate courses appears to be reasonable. Some
universities have extra-mural departments where students study by
correspondence. London University, for example, has about 12,000 students at this
department.

At present students may receive a grant from their local authority, which covers the
cost of the course and some living expenses.

In particular, the UK higher education is valued all over the world for its renowned
standards and quality. Its higher education’s prestige it also emanates from its
graduates’ work afterward. Many eminent people in many different areas whose
work reached global recognition came out of British universities. Some of these
universities and other higher education providers are ranked at the top among
universities in the world. The UK capital city, London, not by accident, is

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considered to be the world’s capital city of higher education. With its four
universities being ranked in the world’s top ten, London has the highest number of
top worldwide ranked universities per city.

By definition, the UK higher education is the level of education that follows the
secondary school at the hierarchy of educational system in the UK. When the high
school is over, Britons have to sit in a standard examination, which makes them
eligible or not to continue their education in the higher level of education.

In the UK education system in contrast to the US higher education, there is a

difference between college and university. While in the US there is no distinction
between college and university with most of the people referring to a higher
education provider as a college, in the UK this is not the case. Here, a college is a
Further Education institution which prepares its students to earn degrees, while a
university is licensed HE institution so, at the end of it, students will gain a degree.

University teaching combines lectures, practical classes (in scientific subjects) and
small group-teaching in either seminars or tutorials, the last being a traditional
feature of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Not long ago Charles, the
Prince of Wales, said that the British children are taught English badly. The author
of the article Mr John Marenbow, director of studies in English at Trinity College,
Cambridge, says most schools teach English badly and used to teach it better.
"When children leave English schools to- day, few are able to speak and write
English correctly, even fewer have a familiarity with the literary heritage of the
language," he says. "Even among the candidates for admission to the best
universities specialized in English only minority can spell with consistent
correctness, use punctuation properly and construct complex sentences
grammatically. Few teachers think it their job to introduce pupils to the heritage of
English literature. They emphasize the study of mod- ern literature."

That is why the reform provides changes in the system of preparatory courses for
teachers. The Government thinks that the old system of preparatory courses does
not prepare the teachers to a practical activity.

The typical academic programme for university students in Great Britain is

composed of a variety of courses or sub- jects within a field of specialization.

The academic obligations for each subject fall into three broad types. Lectures, at
which attendence is not always compulsory, often outline the general scope of the
subject matter and stress the particular specialization of the lecturer. Tutorials,
through individual or group discussion, reading extensively, and writing essays

18
under the tutor's direction, ensure focused and indepth understanding of the
subject.

Examinations on each subject require the student to consolidate his knowledge of

the subject, which he has gained through lectures, discussions and a great deal of
independent study. These three categories of academic activity - lectures, tutorials
and examinations provide the means by which students prepare themselves in
specialized fields of knowledge in British universities.

9.1. Education System Level of Courses

Based on the actual education regulations in the UK education system, the Higher
Education comprises these levels of courses:

Postgraduate courses that lead to a Doctorate, a Master’s degree (Taught or

Research), Postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE)
and professional degrees. To enter this level, it is usually required to have a first
degree (Bachelor).

Undergraduate courses which include a wide range of first degrees (Bachelor’s):

honours and ordinary degrees, qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees,
intercalated degrees (first-degree students in specific study fields may interrupt
their ongoing studies and spend a year studying a field related to their major study
subject).

Other undergraduate courses: Foundation degrees, SVQ, NVQ, Higher National

Diploma HND (or equivalent), NHC (or equivalent) etc.

An undergraduate course it usually takes 3 years to finish, while Scotland makes

an exemption because it takes 4 years to finish an undergraduate course. The
higher education in the UK education system is having an extended number of
universities that are offering 4-year undergraduate courses, also known as
“sandwich courses”. This program includes one year in a workplace, usually in
your third year.

Some British universities offer fast-track programs where you can obtain a
Master’s degree at the undergraduate level. By contrast to traditional
undergraduate levels, students in these programs can attend an additional year of
studying instead of taking a Bachelor degree and then admit to a Master program.
Besides, it costs much less than usual 3-year undergraduate courses, it’s normally
much intense because there are shorten holiday breaks and the schedule is heavy.

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Some of the more prestigious universities in UK offer postgraduate degrees. If
schools offer postgraduate degrees, they offer Master’s Degrees (typically one
year, sometimes two years if your degree is research-based) and/or Doctorate
degrees (three-year degrees). These are only available if you have obtained a
bachelor’s degree at an accredited university (not necessarily one in England).

In the United Kingdom education system, most syllabi are set by the universities
which are offering them and are not controlled by the government or certain British
educational institution. The only exception to this is teacher education programs,
which the government has a lot of say over. The British government has
established the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
(Ofsted) to maintain those standards. Most countries have specific regulations for
their teachers, so this isn’t any different than studying teaching in your home
country. Because of their strict regulations and high standards for teacher
education programs, the UK is considered to have some of the best teacher
education programs in the world.

Even though the syllabi are set by universities, the Office for Fair Access (OfFA)
in the British school system, has a lot of say on the admission procedures of each
university. This office was created so that everyone who wishes to attend
university in UK has the ability to do so. They also promote fair access to higher
education, even for those who are attending university as international students.
Fair access also includes those of different cultures, different races, different
nationalities, and those who have disabilities.

9.2. Studying in the UK as an International Student

If you’re an international student, you must point out that not all higher education
providers in the UK are referred to as a university. This issue is regulated by law.
As this official regulation states, a higher education institution can be labeled as a
university under these circumstances:

 If it gets an approval by the Privy Council under Further and Higher

Education Act 1992
 If it gets an approval under the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

As an international student coming from countries other than the European

Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you must know that you’ll need a student
visa to study in the UK. If you’re aged 16 and you’re a resident of one of these

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countries you can apply for a Tier 4 visa (General student), the official student visa
in the UK. Prior to this, you want to make sure you’ll have money to finance your
stay there during your studies. When applying for a visa you’ll need to show you
have enough money to cover your course tuitions and other expenses.

Most undergraduate education in the UK education system (other than the

University of Buckingham and BPP University College, both private institutions)
is state-financed with some top-up fees to cover costs. Those who study in the UK
know of the hierarchy within the universities. In the British school system, there is
The Russell Group, which is a network of 24 British public research universities,
contains some of the most prestigious universities in the country. This prestigious
group includes universities such as the University of Birmingham, the University
of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the University of York. All of these
are well-known universities and many people, both citizens of the UK and
international students, aspire to attend university at one of these schools.

9.3. The college system at Oxford and Cambridge

The college system at Oxford and Cambridge is unlike that of any other university,
whether in Britain or America. In order to enter the university, a student must first
apply to a college and become a member of the university through the college. The
colleges are not connected with any particular study and are governed by twenty to
thirty "Fellows". Fellows of a college are "tutors" (teachers, often called dons).
They teach their own subject to those students in the college who are studying it,
and they are responsible for their progress. .

The university is like a federation of colleges. The university arranges the courses,
the lectures, and the examinations, and awards the degrees. Most dons give one or
two lectures a week which students from any college may attend. No lectures are
compulsory and tutors usually advise their students which lectures they should go
to.

Each college has its own completely separate living quarters, its own dining hall
and its own chapel. Cambridge and Oxford both have two women's colleges.
Today most of the colleges are co-educational.

The University of London could also be called a kind of federation of colleges, but
the system is entirely different. The largest of the London colleges are like
universities in themselves, having many different faculties and departments. Others
specialize in certain subjects.

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 Fig.8 University of Oxford

Fig.9 University of Cambridge

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 9.4. The Difference Between College and University Life

1. Academic freedom: Colleges have very little academic freedom when it comes
to the syllabus. Most reputed colleges if not all come under the umbrella of a
bigger university and are hence forced to follow the syllabus that is dictated by the
universities. Universities on the other hand allow the teachers to change and update
the syllabus as and when they deem fit. As a result, most universities follow a
more updated syllabus of subjects as compared with individual colleges.

2. Departments and degrees offered: Most universities offer an entire array of

degrees in a wide range of esoteric departments, sometimes in niche fields.
Different types of degrees from the basic undergrad degree to advanced post-doc
degrees are on offer. Most of the colleges lack that. Regular colleges offer degrees
in standard subjects and the types of degrees provided are also very limited. For
instance, CEG has the Geology department, Geoinformatics department, soil
resources department, ocean management department among a host of other highly
specialised departments. One would be hard-pressed to find such departments in
regular colleges

3. Vibrant and active student life: Students, on average, enjoy more freedom in
universities than in colleges. They get to choose their own faculties, their own time
table and have a more relaxed attendance policy. Students in universities are
generally treated more like adults who are capable of making their own life
choices. While most good colleges too offer similar stuff, the vast majority of
colleges don’t. They have their time tables chalked out for them, have very little
freedom in choosing the subjects that they want to study and are at times, forced to
attend classes against their will. But it could easily backfire on the educational
institute. Dishonest students could usurp the freedom provided to them. The
possibility of that happening in regular colleges is zero to non-existent.

4. Marking and exam pattern: This is an extension of the first point. With the
increase in academic freedom, the teachers have a greater say in the style of
marking in the exam and the exam pattern. Some teachers even offer open book
tests. The methods of testing are also more innovative in nature. In colleges, as
mentioned earlier, teachers are forced to comply with the testing methods that are
prescribed by the university. This kills off innovation to a certain degree. This has
a huge disadvantage however. If, someone falls onto the teacher’s wrong side, it
becomes ridiculously easy for the teacher to make the student’s life, as miserable
as possible as they have a huge say on the students’ internal score.

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 9.5. Student Support

Support for higher education students in England and Wales includes:

1. help to pay tuition fees—a maximum fee contribution of £1,050 is charged per
student, but the amount paid depends on student and family income; more than half
of students do not pay any fees;

2. student loans—these are the main form of help for students in meeting living
costs. The maximum loan in 2001–02 for full-time students was £4,590. Loans are
repaid on the basis of income after the student has completed his/her course;

3. a number of additional grants, allowances — available to students from

disadvantaged backgrounds, disabled students, young people leaving local
authority care and students with children or other dependants; and

4. hardship funds—made at the discretion of the institution, the amount depending

on the student’s individual circumstances.

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 10. Social, Cultural and Sporting Life

Each school or sixth-form college has its School or College Council. It helps to
plan the policy for the whole school. It organizes the social and cultural life at the
school.

School Councils in many schools and colleges are chaired by a student and have a
majority of student members. They run discos and parties, stage drama productions
and decorate the student common room. Music-making is part of school life. Some
students help in local hospitals, homes for the handicapped and elderly people.

There are many clubs and societies. Very popular, especially with senior pupils, is
а school debating society.

Most clubs meet regularly: daily, weekly or monthly, at lunch time or after school.
Extracurricular activities include various outings, visits to places of interest and
dances. School choirs and orchestras give regular concerts. Sports are very popular
too: running, jogging, swimming, self-defense, football, soccer, badminton,
aerobics, rugby, etc.

There are many national voluntary youth organizations in Britain. You have
probably read about the Scout and Girl Guides Associations. There are some clubs
run by the churches. There three pre-service organizations (the Sea Cadet Corps,
Army, Cadet Force and Air Training Corps) are not very large. Their activities are
related to the work of the armed forces.

But the largest youth organizations, as you probably know, are the associations of
the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides. There are about 1,300,000 boys and girls in
them. The movement of Boy Scouts was founded by General Baden-Powell in
1908 and began to spring up in almost every town and village of the British Isles.
Its aim is to help I а Scout (а boy from 8 to 18) to develop into а good man and а
useful citizen. He must be able to handle sails, to use а compass, to lay and light а
fire out of doors, he must know first aid and develop his interest in music,
literature, drama, arts and films. A Scout is а friend to animals, he is 'clean in
thought, word and deed’. He must obey the Scout Law.

The Girl Guides Association was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in 1910. It is

divided into three sections: Brownies (from 7,5 tо 11), Guides (age 11 — 16) and
Rangers (age 16 — 21). The programmer of training is planned to develop
intelligence and practical skills including cookery, needle-work and childcare. The
training and the Law are much the same as those of the Scouts. Like а Scout а Girl

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Guide must be а friend to animals. She must be ‘pure in thought, word and deed’.
She must be loyal to God and the Queen.

There are several youth organizations associated with political parties. The Youth
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND) unites thousands of young people of
Great Britain. It co-operates with the National Union of Students and many other
youth organizations. It organizes mass rallies and meetings, demonstrations,
marches of protest, festivals.

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 Conclusion

British diplomas and certificates are recognized and accepted worldwide.

Education received in the UK – a solid foundation for your future and career,
guarantee a high salary. Modern training methods, the latest equipment and
professional instructors British universities, colleges and schools to help you fully
realize its potential. His teaching quality UK institutions are famous all over the
world, and they are constantly reaffirm their reputation: their programs regularly
serious test compliance to the most stringent criteria. Many countries are now
trying to follow the example of the UK.

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 References
1. https://www.native-english.ru/topics/the-educational-system-of-great-britain
2. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
3. https://studfile.net/preview/4518935/page:2/
4. Higher Education Funding Council for England website
– http://www.hefce.ac.uk/
5. The UK Council for International Student Affairs
– http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/
6. The Guardian (UK)’s site on Higher
Education- http://www.theguardian.com/education/higher-education

7. The British Council’s page on Higher Education

– http://www.britishcouncil.org/higher-education
8. http://gepeskonyv.btk.elte.hu/adatok/Anglisztika/49Pint
%E9r/LRSetup/UK/CULTURE/EDUCATION.htm
9. https://studfile.net/preview/3732328/page:2/

10. tages-of-espeech-writing-service.com/the-advanducation-in-the-uk/

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